The present invention relates in general to navigation systems, mapping, and route guidance. More specifically, the present invention relates to a driving assistant system and computer-implemented method for improved landmark-based route guidance functionality.
Automotive navigation systems (also known as route guidance systems) are often satellite-based navigation systems designed for use in private and commercial vehicles. Most systems use a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS) data and digital map-matching to calculate a variety of routes, such as the shortest route to a specified destination. The systems conventionally present a map overview and turn-by-turn instructions to drivers using a combination of auditory and visual information. Navigation systems typically equipped in a vehicle generally guide a driver by indicating a distance and an intersection name at which the driver is supposed to make a turn, e.g., “turn right in 200 feet.” Realizing that driving often evokes a driver's memories of landmarks such as signs, stores, and landscapes, some existing navigation systems provide guidance by superimposing picture images upon a fork or an intersection of a road depicting a landmark found therein in a highlighted state.